Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest over deadly drug war is labeled as ‘oppression’ by the Vice President.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is en route to the Netherlands to aid her father. He was recently arrested in Manila based on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and transported to The Hague.

Rodrigo Duterte, former President from 2016 until 2022, was put on a flight merely hours after his arrest. The charge is “crimes against humanity” due to his squad’s aggressive anti-drug campaign that resulted in thousands of deaths during his presidency.
At 79 years old, Duterte could represent a significant milestone as the first Asian ex-head of state to face a trial at the ICC.
According to her office, Sara took a morning flight to Amsterdam. She intends to organize her father’s legal defense team in the Netherlands, as local news outlet Rappler reported.
Earlier, Sara claimed her father is being “forcibly taken to The Hague,” likening it to “oppression and persecution”. She went on to assert this is a clear infringement on Philippine sovereignty and a slight to the nation’s sovereignty.
Presidential spokesperson assured that the transfer of the former president to the ICC was in compliance with their commitments to Interpol, the international law enforcement agency.
Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica Duterte, plans to file a writ of habeas corpus with the Philippine Supreme Court to request the return of her father, according to the former chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo.
Philippine legal expert, Silvestre Bello, announced that a legal team will be formed to evaluate options and seek clarification on the former president’s destination and their potential access to him
Sara’s journey to The Hague follows her impeachment by the lower house of Congress last month, amidst widening divisions with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The impeachment came after numerous accusations against the vice president, ranging from corruption to plotting the assassination of Marcos, which Sara strongly denies as a political vendetta.
The ICC has not yet released an official statement about the specific charges lodged against Duterte. However, it has been investigating claims of “crimes against humanity” under Duterte’s reign since 2018.
Having run for president in 2016 on a platform of combating crime, Duterte repeatedly called for lethal force against drug suspects during his presidency, resulting in over 7,000 deaths from antidrug operations, as per police records.
Following the arrest, family members and supporters of the victims of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign held a candlelight vigil in Quezon City, advocating for justice for those who lost their lives in his anti-drug, anti-terror operations, and martial law enforcement.